Who can resist fried chicken? Crunchy, juicy, crispy, golden brown, and freshly cooked fried chicken – and all of the other superlatives that you can think of. Even if it is fried food (which is considered unhealthy by most health junkies), no one will ever say no to fried chicken. Don’t let that irresistible craving pass; you can go straight ahead to food establishments that offer Korean fried chicken and other dishes that will surely satisfy your taste buds.
How you might be ruining your fried chicken
Cooking fried chicken might be easier said than done. There are many ways to cook fried chicken: air-fried, Korean-style, Southern-style, deep-fried, and so on. Add to that are the unique ingredients that should be mixed to come up with tasty fried chicken.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who might be guilty of making these mistakes when cooking their fried chicken:
1. Not including the chicken breast
A lot of people do not like the breast part of a fried chicken because it has less flavor. Chicken breasts also tend to become a little chewy when fried, unlike frying chicken drumsticks and thigh parts. When grilling chicken breasts, you should cut them in half (crosswise size) so that the meat won’t dry and become chewy.
2. Not adding breading
It’s not fried chicken without the breading! If you are doing a low-carb or keto diet, you can roast the chicken instead. Otherwise, you should add buttermilk breading for added flavor and crispiness.
3. Frying the chicken straight from the freezer
This is a major no-no! Not only will your chicken not be cooked thoroughly from the inside; the skin won’t be crispy, too. Before frying the chicken, make sure to defrost it for at least 30 minutes, and then you are good to go.
4. Not waiting for the oil to heat before frying
Before frying, make sure to wait for a couple of minutes to heat the oil. You can try dropping a small amount of fried chicken batter on the oil. When it boils/sizzles, then it is the right time to drop the first few chicken pieces to fry. Also, the best oil to use for frying includes canola, peanut, or vegetable oil.
5. Not patting the chicken dry before breading
A lot of people forget to pat the chicken dry before adding the breading mix. However, this is important so that the breading will stick better to the chicken and achieve that oh-so-familiar crisp.
6. Putting everything at once
Do not overcrowd your pan when frying fried chicken. Otherwise, the pieces might not cook evenly inside out. Instead, you should fry in batches and make sure to have enough space to turn the chicken pieces for thorough cooking. Make sure to cover the pan for more effective cooking.
After cooking, don’t eat the chicken yet! Let the chicken drain first using paper towels. After a few minutes of cooling the pieces, you can now enjoy your crispy and flavorful chicken cooked with love!
